Selma Prodanovic
Keynote Speaker & Social Futurist
“Startup-Grande-Dame”
Europe's most influential women in startups & VC
2022 - 2025
FEATURED IN 40+ COUNTRIES
From Silenced to Impacting Millions
Silenced for decades, Selma once believed that her voice & actions didn't matter.
But empowered by one person, she found her purpose and the boldness to speak up.
The Selma Effect - Keynote
One voice. A ripple effect. Global transformation.
A powerful keynote experience connecting personal empowerment with systemic change.
Based on the true story of a woman who had the “audacity” to dream big and shape the future, The Selma Effect reveals how one person can transform entire ecosystems.
Through her transformative journey from being silenced for decades to becoming one of Europe's most influential figures in innovation, entrepreneurship, and investing, Selma distills 30 years of leadership experience into a keynote that inspires deep reflection and bold action.
It is more than a keynote. It is an invitation to start with yourself and lead the ripple of change the world needs.
Core message: Start with You → Change the System
Ideal for: Innovation conferences · Leadership retreats · Entrepreneurial ecosystems · Women wealth events
Formats: 45–75 minutes | Customizable themes for entrepreneurs, corporates, and policymakers.
Embrace the boldness to create (y)our future!
Selma Prodanovic
Named the “Startup-Grande-Dame” by international media, Selma Prodanovic is a social futurist, visionary speaker, award-winning ecosystem investor, and one of Europe’s most influential women in startups and VC.
For over three decades, Selma has shaped entrepreneurial ecosystems across Europe and beyond, founding global impact platforms, influencing early-stage investment policy, and advising thousands of entrepreneurs and investors.
On her mission to create a better future, Selma impacts the few who lead the many.
In the rare rooms where the future is decided, she delivers The Selma Effect, her exclusive keynote experience, that transforms how leaders see their power, their purpose, and their legacy. A globally influential voice, Selma has delivered over 2.000 keynotes on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, from TEDx to international leadership summits. Her story and insights have been featured in media across more than 40 countries, including Forbes, Financial Times, Bloomberg, and Elle.
As a board member of GBAN, EBAN, and Invest Austria, Selma actively drives systemic change across the global early-stage investment landscape. She is the initiator of the EBAN Manifesto for Gender Balanced Investing and the author of “Invest Like A Girl,” a visionary TEDx talk and strategy challenging gender biases and reshaping startup investing.
She is the founder of 1MillionStartups, supporting SDG-driven entrepreneurs worldwide, and the initiator of the Global Entrepreneurship Declaration, calling upon the international community to support entrepreneurs in creating solutions to the grand challenges of our time. She has launched more than a dozen purpose-driven brands through her boutique firm, Brainswork, always with a focus on creating systemic change.
Selma's impact goes beyond boardroom decisions, ecosystem leadership, and policy initiatives. She is known for something even rarer: the power to inspire and empower others. To learn from her is to embark on a transformative journey, guided by someone who has walked the path herself.
A lifelong advocate for women’s empowerment, a gender-balanced future, and the normalization of mental fitness, Selma’s work is both visionary and deeply human.
She received numerous awards for her innovative approach to business and commitment to entrepreneurship and social change, such as the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award, EBAN Best Pioneering Investment Initiative, and EBAN Ecosystem Changemaker.
An Austrian born in Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina), Selma was raised in several countries in Europe and North Africa and was formally educated in 4 different languages. She studied at the University of Sarajevo, Saint Louis University in Madrid, and Vienna University of Economics and Business.
Above all, Selma is happily married to her first & and only love and the proud mother of two fantastic Gen Z young adults.
Selma’s work is guided by one principle:
"We don't need louder leaders. We need leaders who can build the future with empathy, boldly, together".
